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Two New Competitions Bring Attention to Accounting Careers

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The
Institute recently launched the “Clearly Pretty Awesome Competition”
for high school students to help introduce them to the CPA profession.

The
competition called for students to devise a job (other than
certified public accountant) using the acronym CPA, such as “curb
paint applicator” or “city park accordionist.” Then, to enter the
competition, students visited the Start Here, Go Places website,
which educates high school students about accounting careers;
registered using the site’s FutureMe tool; and submitted their
entries, along with an explanation of why being a certified public
accountant is a better career option than the job they created. The
finalists were posted on startheregoplaces.com for
public voting, and winners were announced last month. For a list of
winners, visit startheregoplaces.com. The
first-place winner’s submission will be turned into an ad to become
part of the Institute’s national campaign. The first-place winner
also receives a laptop, and $3,000 will be awarded to the student’s
school. The second-place winner receives a laptop plus a $1,500
award to the student’s school. Third-, fourth- and fifth-place
winners each receive an iPod Touch.

The
Institute also recently launched the 2010 AICPA Accounting
Competition to improve sustainability practices in business. The
AICPA is hosting the competition on the new website www.thiswaytocpa.com, which
helps college students and candidates for the CPA exam investigate
the accounting profession as well as prepare to become a CPA.

College
students pursuing either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree will
compete by submitting a plan to make the practices of a North
Carolina luxury hotel align better with the principles of sustainability.

“The
competition is an opportunity for students to gain experience
working with a client,” said Jeannie Patton, AICPA vice
president–Students, Academics and Membership.

Students
participating in the accounting competition must work in teams of
four, each of which must include at least two accounting majors. One
of the accounting majors must be the team captain. Three teams will
receive a cash award. The first-place team will receive $10,000; the
second-place team, $5,000; and the third-place team, $2,500.

The
Institute for Sustainable Development (gogreenplus.org), an organization
based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, is a partner with the
AICPA in the competition. In 2009, the AICPA was named a Green Plus
Mover by the Institute of Sustainable Development in recognition of
its sustainability efforts. The Umstead Hotel & Spa, the hotel
that the contest is based upon, is also a Green Plus Certified business.

The
semifinalist teams are:

Blazers
(Elms College and University of Massachusetts)

Dealers
in Debits and Credits (The Citadel, S.C.)

Eco
Consulting LLC (University of Texas at Dallas)

Greening
the GAAP (Ohio Dominican University)

teamGorilla
(Pittsburg State University, Kan.)

Team
Precision (San Jose State University, Calif.)

Team
Titans (University of Tennessee)

The
Green Assets (Ohio Dominican University)

University
of Southern Indiana

USF
Sustainable Solutions Team (University of St. Francis, Ill.)

After
the finalists are selected, the top three teams will make
presentations at an AICPA board of directors meeting in New York
City. Winners will be announced Jan. 21 at tinyurl.com/26lymwy.

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